West Australians who are currently out of state have just a few days to get back home before a hard border closure kicks in at 11.59pm on Sunday night.
Premier Mark McGowan announced the plans on Thursday afternoon after the state recorded 8 new COVID-19 positive cases overnight, bringing the state’s tally to 400 cases.
“You need to come home from WA and you need to come home now,” McGowan said on Thursday. “The measures we are taking so far are starting to have an impact.”
Unlike other states such as South Australia and Queensland, who require incoming travellers to quarantine for 14 days, Western Australia will fully close their borders as of Sunday night. This means that even local residents will be unable to cross the border after the cut-off.
“WA is in a unique position, our isolation is now our best defence, we need to use it to the best of our advantage.”
“It makes sense we go further now and close the border.”
Thankfully, there will be exemptions for essential services such as health, emergency, transport and logistics workers, as well as national and state security services. Additionally, fly-in-fly-out workers will be granted an exemption, provided they isolate for 14 days upon returning to WA, according to the West Australian.
The new rules are some of the strictest border closures we’ve seen across Australia amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The state will implement police drones to help enforce the strict new rules.
“These drones will be highly visible, fitted with flashing lights and speakers, similar to those on police vehicles, and will be able to deliver a message to a range of up to a kilometre from their launch,” McGowan said.
“Their primary objective is to reinforce the serious nature of the environment that we are in.”
As cases across the state skyrocket to 400, the Premier explained that even he didn’t expect to be closing the border so early in the coronavirus pandemic.
“If you asked me a couple of months ago if we would be closing the WA border I would have laughed,” Mr McGowan said. “Unfortunately this is no laughing matter.”
While it may seem extreme considering the actions of eastern states, McGowan made it abundantly clear that the rule is a hard border closure impacting anyone who doesn’t fall into one of the exemption categories.
“That’s why I want all West Australians to come home now.”
“After midnight on Sunday there is going to be rules and if you are not within the rules you can’t come.”
“You have to fit one of the categories to be able to come home (essential services or compassionate grounds).”
